Q's Forest
by NickTheWriter
Summary: Q makes another visit to the Enterprise crew, and this time, he forces them to survive in the wilderness for two weeks, alone. Things take an unexpected twist when one member begins experiencing a strangle ailment.
1. Chapter 1

**Honestly, I can't believe I haven't written a Trek fanfic yet. Its my favourite show! Really though, I just struggled coming up with a story. Hopefully this one works out. Enjoy!**

Jean-Luc Picard stood firmly, gazing over the forest opening. Under normal circumstances he would take the time to appreciate the subtle differences between the holodeck and reality. But, like usual, this wasn't normal circumstance. Though for a brief moment, he argued to himself that Q had shown up so many times now that perhaps it _was_ normal.

Turning on his heel, Picard looked back to the six other senior staff crew members of the USS Enterprise D- and in the middle of them, looking rather smug indeed, one Q.

"So what do you think, Picard? Lovely, isn't it?", there it was, that hint, that _touch,_ of sarcasm, so minute and yet so obviously present, that made Q _Q._ Picard had had enough of it.

"What are you playing at this time, Q?", the words spat from Picard's mouth, and yet they had a touch of elegance to them. Picard certainly knew how to bite without bark.

"What does it look like, Jean-Luc? I'm letting my favourite doggies off their leashes for a run through the forest.", there was that grating sarcasm once again.

"We are NOT dogs, Q!", Picard had to bite his tongue from losing all sense of control over his anger. And then there was that smug grin returning to Q's face.

"Are you sure about that Picard?", lifting one hand up to chin level, Q brought his thumb and middle finger together, and snapped. There was a brief glow of white light.

Data, who had been standing near the front of the group, had caught everyone's attention when he was suddenly no longer an android, but what appeared to be a Siberian Husky. While the crew stared with surprise at the fact that Data was now a dog, Q was standing with a grin as wide as a Denobulan smile. He was determined to grate on Picard's nerves.

"Q! Change him back. Now!", Riker spoke this time, not so well able of holding back his temper. Q sighed lazily.

"If I must. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. If you ask me, he looks better as a dog.", and with a quick snap of his fingers, Data had resumed his android form, a look of utter confusion on his face. He opened his mouth as if to ask if what had happened had really just happened, but Geordie shook his head quickly at him as if to say don't bother, and Data closed his mouth swiftly.

"Well Jean-Luc, gotta fly. People to lord, places to conquer, that sort of thing. Have fun on your little family vacation. I'll be back to pick you up in two weeks.", a flash of white light, and they were left alone, no Q to be seen. They were stranded.

In typical Q manner, they were left with no supplies, no communicators, and no idea what it was that Q would get out of seeing them struggle to survive in the wilderness for two weeks. Well, other than pure joy at their expense. Picard then reasoned that that was reason enough. Bringing his gaze to the sky, Picard took note of greying clouds, a possible sign of rain. Once again, he turned to look at the six remaining crew members.

"If Q intends for us to stay out here for two weeks, we best start by finding ourselves a suitable camping ground. Perhaps this clearing will do for a sleeping area. We should split into two groups. Number One, I want you, Mr. LaForge and Mr. Worf to find a food and water source. Dr. Crusher, Mr. Data, Counsellor Troi and I will remain to set up camp as quickly as possible. Whatever his game is, we will beat it."

Nodding in understanding, Riker, Worf and Geordie headed off into the forest itself, leaving Picard, Data, Crusher and Troi behind on the clearing to begin progress on setting up camp.

 **Ok, chapter one was shorter than I anticipated. But anyways, moving on. Hopefully I'll complete the next chapter soon.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Riker's Group**

At first, Will Riker seemed adamant that they would find something before nightfall. But it had been over an hour now, and he was growing impatient. Geordie and Worf both noted the commander's growing descent in optimism.

"Commander, maybe we should take a break.", Geordie said, hoping rest might bring about fresh ideas and approaches.

Riker opened his mouth to respond, and then closed it again. To Geordie and Worf, he seemed to be in a sudden state of deep thought. To Riker, he was listening to a faint but steady sound of water flow.

"Its a river. Northways a little. And where there's water...", he trailed off, allowing Geordie to step in.

"There's animals."

 **Picard's group**

Finding supplies was, quite simply, the easiest part of the job. They were in a forest, and surrounded by wood and vines with which to construct small, two-man, hut like structures. If Picard was being honest, they weren't really huts at all. They were two logs poking out of the ground with sticks sloping downwards to the ground, creating a sort of triangular shape. The sticks at the back were covered with leaves as a means of allowing rainwater to slide down onto the ground, instead of on top of the would-be unfortuante tennant underneath.

Thanks to Data, the work took half the time it would have taken for humans to do it. In the space of two hours, they had managed to construct two structures, and were halfway on building the third and final one. Standing up from finishing a knot to hold down a branch, Data noticed he had began experiencing what humans would call a sort of 'sluggishness'. His movements were slowing slightly. But that couldn't be possible. His brows furrowed in deep concentration, only broken by a sudden call of his name.

"Data!", looking up, he traced the voice to Captain Picard, who was standing a considerable distance away, struggling to carry a large log. He obviously required some assistance. He made his way over to the captain and bent down to lift the other end of the log. He noticed this time that he had difficulty actually lifting the thing. Perhaps he should run a self diagnostic once they were finished building. Picard didn't seem to notice, so to Data, that was somewhat of a 'good sign', as humans would say.

After a good 45 minutes, the final 'hut' had been completed, rain-proofed and all. The sky was beginning to turn a shade of orange, signalling that the sun was setting for the day. Out of the corner of her eye, Deanna noticed a glimpse of movement. Looking to the edge of the clearing, she saw Will, accompanied by Geordie and Worf.

"Will! Your back. And by the looks of it, just in time too. Did you find anything?"

Worf spoke up. "We were unsuccessful in finding a food source, Councellor. However, Commander Riker did find a source of water, an hour's north from here."

Picard, who had been noticed their appearance aswell, had heard everything. Looking up to the sky, he came to the realisation that they would all have to look for a food source in the morning. The sky was darkening at a steady pace, hence why the trio had returned.

"At least we have water. We'll be able to go longer without food, but we'd only last three or four days without water.", said Beverly, somewhat more relieved knowing that they would last over the two weeks without food.

"Thank you, Doctor. Our only real concern now is surviving anything else that may be out here with us. We'll still need to find food in order to keep up our strength. Mr. Data, we may need to rely on you if our efforts to find a food source become a hinderence.", Data nodded.

"Aye, sir."

"Alright then, seeing as we've accomplished all we are capable of doing tonight, I suggest we get some sleep. Mr. Data, you're on night duty."

Once again, Data nodded, hoping this feeling of android tiredness would soon pass. The last thing he wanted to do was to let his crew down. With that, a fire was lit, and six out of seven crew members lay their heads down for the night, only Data remaining awake.

 **So, I feel like my chapters are all going to be short-ish. Sorry about that. Anyways, moving on! I'm a HUGE TNG fan, but I can't understand techno babble to save my life. So, please do forgive me if I mess up on explaining the whole Data situation. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

He blinked, only then realising as the sun was rising that he had lost focus almost completely on what he was supposed to be doing: keeping watch. Looking down at his hands, Data noticed that they were shaking, if only slightly. He took a moment to recall the strange events that had begun occurring: first there was his movements slowing down, and then he had had difficulty lifting that log, and now he was losing concentration and his hands were shaking of their own will. There was definitely something wrong. But before he got the chance to perform his self-diagnostic, he noted someone calling his name. It was Commander Riker. He was standing right next to him. How long had he been there?

"Data? Are... you alright?" Will was clearly confused, and mildly concerned, by Data's actions. Or, lack thereof. He had called the android's name, but there was no reaction from him. And then he called him a second time. It was only the third time when the android finally blinked, and turned to stare at him.

"Commander. Is there something wrong, sir?", he sounded so innocent, as if he hadn't just completely ignored his commanding officer. Twice! Looking around, Data noticed the entire crew was staring at him, with a look on their faces somewhere between bewilderment and concern, with a hint of confusion. The only conclusion Data could come to was that they had noticed him staring blankly ahead. It was no longer a 'good sign'.

"I was hoping _you_ could tell _me,"_ , said Riker, "you just blanked out, and you didn't respond when I called your name. Twice. Is there something wrong, Data?".

All Data could do was furrow his brows in a desperate attempt to find a reason for his odd behaviour.

"I... do not know, sir." Once again, this gained quizzical looks from the crew.

"Data?", said Beverly, "I know this is a strange question to ask, but, are you... _feeling_ alright?"

"I... do not know," he said, furrowing his brows again, "I... _feel..._ fine, however, I have noticed a _lag_ in my movements, and I am finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate. Perhaps I should perform a self-diagnostic."

Picard nodded aprrovingly, and watched as the android stiffened his posture and his eyes focused straight ahead. But then, suddenly, Data once more furrowed his brows.

"Data? Is something the matter?", asked Picard. Data met Picard's gaze with his own, confusion evident in his expression.

"It would seem that I am unable to perform a self-dianostic, sir." said Data.

"Something tells me Q is behind that. Of course. If he left us without our medical scanners, then it makes sense that he would disable Data's self-diagnostics. It leaves Data just as vunerable as the rest of us. Damn.", said Riker, with an underlying tone of aggitation in his voice.

"Data", began Beverly, "I'd like you to stand up and walk in a straight line. I'd like to observe your actions for a moment."

"Certainly, doctor." As he stood up, Data noticed it had rapidly become much harder for him to stand up without taking it slow and steady. He swayed slightly once he was up, but he did manage to walk in a perfect, straight line.

Doctor Crusher stood by and observed, seemingly unhappy with the results she was getting from the previously thought-to-be near indesctructable android. She turned to him and spoke.

"Thank you Data. You can sit down again." as Data went to sit down, Beverly turned to the rest of the crew and they all came together to discuss the problem. She glanced over her shoulder to see Data sitting down once more, looking a little dazed, and then turned back to Picard and the crew.

"What's wrong with him doctor?" came Picard's voice first.

"Well, quite frankly Jean-Luc, if I didn't know any better, I'd say he was becoming ill. His movements seem to be becoming increasingly difficult for him, almost as if he's struggling to carry his own weight. And then there's his obvious shortening attention span. We're talking about Data here. He _never_ has a problem with concentration. If he were human I'd say he were developing the symptoms of the common cold."

"But", interjected LaForge, "he's not human. And it certainly doesn't seem to be a malfunction. At least, not any malfunction I've ever seen."

"It doesn't seem to be affecting him badly. Its just slowing him down a little. He should be fine to join us when we search for a food source, but I'd like to keep an eye on him, in case he gets any worse." said Beverly. Picard nodded, and turned his gaze to the android, who didn't seem to have heard any of their conversation.

"Whatever it is that's affecting Data, there's no doubt that Q is involved. I'm starting to believe that this is meant to be a harder challenge than just surviving for two weeks." said Picard, hiding his furiosity well. Not only did Q strand them, alone, and without weapons, in a forest to fend for themselves, but he also appeared to have done something to Data aswell. The start of this little journey of theirs was most certainly not going their way.

The walk to the river had taken an hour, and so by the time they had reached it, the sun had brightened the sky considerably. Instead of being a glowing orange, it was now a pale blue. Data had managed to get there without any more obvious complications, so that was a plus for the team.

"Captain, I have completed the weapons as you requested sir." came Worf's deep tone, handing a spear to Picard, a bow and some arrows to Riker, and various other hand-crafted wooden weapons to the others.

"Excellent work, Mr. Worf. Now, from here on out, we must be extremely quiet. We'll split into pairs, and meet back here in two hours. " said Picard, and the crew nodded to mean they understood their orders.

Riker and Data headed west, Worf and Dr. Crusher headed south, and Troi and Geordie went east, leaving Picard on his own to scout up north.

Things were going fine on Riker and Data's end. They had managed to shoot a rabbit with an arrow, and almost snared a wild boar. Riker seemed to be content so far.

Data, on the other hand, had begun feeling some sort of liquid pushing its way up through his chest, and into his respiratory systems. And although he didn't need to breath, the liquid, which he could only summise as his coolant liquids, was quite extensive. In a matter of instance, he had found himself in a reluctant coughing fit. It shouldn't have been possible, but it was. He fell to his knees as the coughing wracked his body, and then noticed a hand clutching his shoulder gently.

"Data? Data!" it was commander Riker. The concern in his voice was clearly evident.

With one final, harsh cough, many tiny droplets of black liquid forced their way up his throat and out onto the ground. The fit ended, and Data slowly eased himself onto the ground, sitting in an akward position, but seemingly not wanting to move for a few moments.

For once, Riker was at a loss for words. He stood there akwardly for a few moments, and then finally, he said the only thing that he could say in that moment in time.

"Data? Are you alright?"

Instead of replying right away, Data gazed at the droplets on the ground in awe for a moment, and then looked up at Riker.

"Sir, I do not believe that should have been possible."

"You're telling me. Come on, we need to get you back to doctor Crusher and Geordie. Hopefully, they can figure out what's wrong with you." and with that, the two of them took their catch for the day, and made their way back to the river to wait.

 **So, I think I'm starting to figure out where this is going... I'm busy with college life and whatnot, but hopefully I'll get a chance to write and upload the next chapter sometime soon. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

Picard had arrived back at the river around the same time as Geordie and Troi had. He was holding a pheasant in his right hand, and a spear in his left. Geordie and the councellor had not appeared to be so lucky in their hunt. They had returned with nothing. The three of them found a log to sit down on, and had begun discussing how their hunts had gone. Picard glimpsed movement in his peripheral vision, and looked to his left to see Riker and Data making their way towards them. The android had his right arm slung around the commander's shoulder for support. Picard sprung to his feet immediately, followed by Geordie and Deanna.

"What happened, Number One?" questioned Picard, not moving his worried eyes from the weak-looking android. Honestly, it looked like he was about to collapse at any moment.

Before answering, the two men guided Data over to the log Picard had just been sitting on, and helped him sit down.

"We were on our way back here when he collapsed into a coughing fit. There was some sort of... black liquid. He coughed it up."

Picard and Riker shared a look. They both knew that it couldn't be good if Data had started coughing up liquid. The fact that he shouldn't be coughing in the first place was worrisome enough.

"We need doctor Crusher." stated Picard in as calm a voice as he could muster. As if on cue, Beverly and Worf rounded a large tree a few metres to the right of the group.

Beverly looked up and noticed three figures in the distance. It was the others. And they all appeared to be huddled around something- or someone. She felt her gut twist a little.

"Let me see him." said Beverly in a stern but calm voice. The others made a natural move away to let the doctor through. She lowered herself into a squatted position in front of the android.

"Data, can you hear me?" she asked softly, but loud enough so that he would be able to hear her.

Data looked up, but didn't speak. He had heard her. She noticed what could almost be called sweat forming on his pale face. Leaning over slightly, she lifted a hand to his forehead. It was warm, but not alarmingly so.

"He's warm. It must be his systems heating up from the strain. What happened?" asked Beverly. Riker opened his mouth to explain, but was cut off by a low groaning sort of noise.

They all looked in Data's direction in time to witness him sink into another coughing fit. This time it lasted a few seconds longer than the first one, but offered the same results- more black liquid. As the coughing eased off, Data sank to the ground and closed his eyes to recover. Beverly raced to his side.

"Data-"

"I am fine now doctor," his voice was weak.

Turning her attention to the black liquid to the ground, she bent over to get a closer look, before calling Geordie to her side to see if he recognised the substance. He confirmed it to be what Data's original assumption was- his coolant liquids.

Data, who had been recovering from his little incident, suddenly felt an odd sensation behind his nose. He felt his 'breath' twitch in his throat. His eyes forced themselves shut suddenly, and he took in an uncontrollable gulp of air.

"Hu-chueh!" he sneezed. It was followed quickly by another. He had to grab the log to keep himself from falling backwards.

He opened his eyes, looking like a dog whose muzzle had just been landed on by a wasp. The crew had fallen silent, and looked on in awe. Finally, Riker spoke up.

"Did he just..."

"Yeah..." came Geordie's slow and dumbfounded reply.

Picard walked forward cautiously, and knelt down next to Data. He placed a hand on the android's shoulder, stirring him from the daze he appeared to be in.

"Data?"

The android blinked suddenly, and turned to look at Picard with what seemed to be scepticism.

"Captain, what is happening to me?" the android seemed almost... _scared._ Of course, Data wasn't scared. But, he was very curious and concerned that there was a serious problem with him.

"I don't know Data. Doctor Crusher believes you may ill," said Picard gently.

"But captain, that is not possible," said the android, trying to wrap his head around the whole thing.

"We believe Q may have something to with it," Picard shared a sympathetic look with the android, before Beverly joined in on the conversation.

"The closest thing I could compare it too is tuberculosis. In Data's case, it appears to be an android equivalent of TB. Normally without supplies, it could turn fatal, but because you're not human, you may be fine, but suffer extensively from the symptoms. For now, I just want you to rest, Data. We'll try to figure this out back at the camp,"

Worf and Riker helped the android to his feet, and lent a shoulder each for support. The trip back to the clearing went without any incidents. They had collected some river water to boil before they left. All that was left now was for Data to get better. They all hoped that he could.

 **Again, only a short chapter here. I'm not great with long chapters. Anyways, if you've made it this far, then I thank you immensely for reading.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Firstly, I wanna give a big thanks to RainaWrites for inspiring me to continue this story. Secondly, I may not be uploading as quick as before, because this time, I'm gonna take my time on it. My other chapters, I feel, drastically lack quality because I rushed them. But anyways, thanks Raina!**

"Hu-cheuh!" the sound echoed throughout the clearing, rebounding off the trees weakly. Data rubbed at his face around the nose area, trying almost desperately to rid himself of the fuzzy feeling just beneath his skin. Being an android, the sensation didn't irritate him, but he found it to be incredibly distracting. For the second time that day, it had caused a physical reaction out of him- one that shouldn't have been possible. He found himself to be saying that quite a lot recently.

"Bless you." It was Commander Riker. He was pulling up a small stool-like log up to the fire, where Data was currently sitting, his back leaning against a small boulder. Will pulled the Riker manoeuvre as he sat down. He looked quite ridiculous, though, seeing as the log didn't have a back piece like a chair would. Data looked up and noticed a slight grin in the commander's eyes. Will felt sorry for Data, he really did, but he couldn't help but be amused at the concept of a sneezing android- which, he thought to himself, was no longer a concept, because it had actually happened. Twice, no less! If Data was human, he imagined he would feel annoyed right about now. Will Riker really wasn't very good at keeping in his laughter sometimes. Of course, now was one of those times.

"Commander?" Data sounded so innocent right now. And, not to mention, congested. Sympathy found itself tugging at Riker's heart strings.

"Sorry," he replied quickly, "So, how goes the battle?" The amusement found its way back into his voice. Though, Will wouldn't quite call it 'amusement'- more like an attempt to help a friend feel better.

By now, Data had learned to understand many of human phrases. He recognised the commander to be asking him how he was feeling, and so he felt it was appropriate to respond with a human phrase.

"If I am to use the phrase correctly, sir, I believe I 'look worse than I feel'."

This gained a wide smile from Will. He was glad that, even through a strange android illness, Data could still conjure up the strength to 'attempt to be more human', as the android sometimes put it. Speaking of being human...

"You know Data, being sick is a very human experience. Even if Q _is_ the cause of it." Riker thought he glimpsed the shadow of a smile haunt the android's face. Sometimes, he wished he could snap his fingers just as Q could, and let him experience what being human truly felt like, even if just for a moment.

"You two enjoying yourselves by the fire while the rest of us are working?" Deanna joined in, walking up from behind. The others were starting preparations on cooking their catch from earlier, and also gathering extra padding for the 'beds'.

"Apologies, Counsellor," came Data's calm voice, lifting himself up slowly to help out. Deanna held out her hand to stop him, and giggled slightly.

"I'm just joking, Data. At least with you. You need to rest. _You_ on the other hand..." She taunted a hand in Will's direction.

"Yes, sir," he half joked, "What can I do?"

"Well, for starters, you can help me find some more firewood."

Will lifted himself up from his miniature perch, patting the android's shoulder quickly to bid farewell, and the two went on their way, leaving Data to sit alone by the fire once again. He looked up at the star-filled sky, the full moon beaming, and thought about the commander's words. This illness was most certainly not very practical, but it made him feel just that little bit closer to being human. And for Data, that was enough.

Just under half an hour had passed when Will and Deanna appeared back at the camp, both each holding a decent pile of firewood. At first, Data thought they were caught up in a heated agrument. And then he realised that they were just in fact teasing one another.

"Well if you hadn't jumped on me," came Will's voice first, "then I wouldn't have dropped the first pile, and we'd have been back here at lot sooner!"

"I didn't jump on you, I jumped out _in front_ of you. Oh just admit, I scared you. Good." Deanna appeared to be quite amused with herself.

"I was _not_ scared!" Will, although seemingly insulted by the accusation, couldn't keep the smile off of his face. Deanna could only laugh, before spotting Data, still sat in the same spot, and walked to greet him.

"Hello Data. How are you feeling?" Her voice was full of compassion and gentleness, much unlike Commander Riker's earlier. Though, they both shared a sympathy for him. They hated watching him like this, so unused to the concept of being sick.

"Councellor," he greeted her politely, "I am... 'doing well'."

Deanna chuckled at this.

"That's good to hear." She sat down next to him, and soon enough, the whole crew were sat around the fire, enjoying the meal they had worked so hard to obtain. None of them enjoyed the idea of taking an innocent creatures life for their own good, however they recognised that they didn't have any other option if they wished to survive. And so they sat, and shared old stories, and talked the night away- well, to an extent. By the time midnight rolled around- or what they guessed was midnight seeing as they had nothing to tell the time, they were all ready to hit the hay. Data assured them he was fit enough to take night duty. Worf stayed up with Data, wanting the android to get as much rest as possible. Even his Klingon nature recognised the sympathy and concern he felt for his friend. Though he would never admit it. And so the night rolled on. The crickets cricked, and the frogs froaked. It was a peaceful night.


	6. Chapter 6

**So, this is super late! Yeah, sorry about that. Been busy with life. But anywho, here we are!**

The early hours of the morning rolled in, soaking the clearing in a warm froth of sunshine. Data sat awake by the firepit, of which its occupant had long since died out in the night, leaving nothing but ash. The low sound of snoring eminated from the android's company of Lieutenant Worf- who had dozed off sometime in the cool hours of the morning, long before the sun had arisen. He had good intentions when he stayed up to keep Data company on the night duty, but the last few days had been so tense between trying to survive, and worrying over the health of their android friend. It had taken its toll on everybody, of course. Not even the odd sneeze or cough from Data could wake them up. Granted, he covered up his offences as quietly as he could, but even at that, Worf, who was seated right next to him, could not be woken.

Data sat for a few moments, taking in the sight before him. Off in some unknown part of the forest, the ground just dipped low enough to allow foreign mountains far off in the distance to peek their heads above the treeline. They could be seen even from the clearing. The sunrise could be seen stretching above, slowly ascending into the sky. If Data felt emotions, he was sure he would feel exceedingly lucky to behold such a sight. A branch snap took his attention, and he turned to see Commander Riker trudging out of his hut, looking quite drousy. He had obviously just woken up. Seemingly unnoticing the android looking in his direction, Will dragged his feet to the nearest tree and stood behind it. He returned in exactly 38.02 seconds. Data summised that he needed to 'go', as humans would sometimes say.

The brisk morning air had taken away some of the drousiness, and on his way back, Will noticed both Worf and Data sitting by the fireside- one of them snoring away peacefully. Putting a bit more stride in his step, Will strolled over, and took a seat next to Worf.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" he said to no one in particular. From the direction of his gaze, Data guessed that the commander was referring to the sunrise.

"So," he went on, "how was night duty? I see Worf here didn't last very long." There was humour in his voice once again. At least, Data supposed, he could keep his spirits high. It seemed to be something humans needed.

"The night was uneventful, sir," was his cool reply. Riker nodded, and then frowned slightly.

"You know Data, you should try and get some sleep tonight. I know you don't need to, but if there's any chance it'll hel-" He was cut off by a loud growl, near the edge of the clearing, where the huts were situated. They both turned, and Riker almost went pale at the sight. There was huge grizzly bear advancing towards the huts, where the others were still sleeping. They turned their faces towards each other, then back to the bear, and then pushed themselves up in a frantic hurry, racing faster than lightning on metal.

The bear, having found easy pickings in Picard's hut- who was still sleeping soundly- made to drag his meal out, when its ears caught the rushing sound of something- and it was getting closer. Riker, in his fear-causes delusional state, failed to notice how close he was before it was too late. The humongous grizzly lifted a massive clawed paw, and swiped. Riker tried to dodge, but was caught on his right ankle.

"Gah!" he cried out, and fell to the ground heavily.

Data, not having emotions to blur his better judgement, arrived _after_ the bear swiped its ginormous claws. As Riker hit the ground with a thud, Data took advantage of the bear's distraction, and shoved himself forwards, catching the brown mass in its chest. But it wasn't enough to topple it; only bring its attention to him. Data realised his android strength was failing him. The bear lifted its paw again, but Data caught it. As it lifted its other paw, Data realised that his speed was failing him too. The grizzly swung with furiosity, and caught the android on his left shoulder- a lot harder than it had hit Riker the first time. Data felt his skin shred open and his wires cut, and then his left arm went completely limp. The bear lifted his paw for one final rage, Data knowing he couldn't hold it back with one arm. But, the attack never came.

Picard, along with Crusher, Worf, Troi and Geordie, were stampeding like a ravenous tornadoe towards the creature, screaming like madmen, in an attempt to ward off the beast. To their newfound luck, it worked. The bear, deciding it was no match for a pack of angry humans, backed off, and ran back into the forest the way it had come.

Data turned, and started walking towards the others. But, seeing as luck didn't seem to like him very much at the moment, he didn't make it very far. His knees buckled, and he collapsed upon them, beginning to gag as if he needed to throw up. He did. It was the same black coolent liquids. The android went to stand up, and the crew could only watch in horror as Data's eyes rolled back, and he fell into an unconscious heap on the muddy ground.

Despite his canine-like hearing, Data could not make out the muffled words of the group standing around him. Their faces were blurry. A mass of red- probably Dr. Crusher- loomed in close above him, said something he couldn't quite make out, possible his name, and then leaned back. His eyes, struggling to stay open, blurred. The world began to darker. He was consumed by darkness.

There was silence for a moment, and then the world began to brighten in a foggy haze. Data gave his eyes a moment to readjust, before taking in his surrounds. He appeared to be lying down, and his head facing up. The only thing he could see was a dark green colour. The thought then occurred to him that he should move his head in order to see more. He found it a bit difficult but he managed. Looking forward, he saw the clearing through a border of two wooden branches- he must be in one of the huts. And looking to his right, he noticed another figre, in an akward postion halfway between sitting up and lying down. It was Commander Riker! And he appeared to be awake, trying to sit himself comfortably. These huts really didn't have a lot of height to them. Catching movement in his peripheral vision, Will turned, and noticed Data was waking up.

"Data! You're awake! That didn't take long," the commander seemed very pleased to see that Data had woken up. The android supposed that, when he collapsed, they wouldn't have any frame of reference to tell if he had died, or if he was just unconscious. Luckily, it was the latter. Data shifted his focus from himself, and his eyes landed on the green leaf serving as a bandage on Riker's right ankle.

"Are you alright, sir?" Riker just had to smile. Of course the first thing Data would dp after waking up from a collapse would be to ask if Will was alright.

"I'm fine. You, on the other hand..."

Data took a moment to assess his own damage, and it was only then that he realised his gold Starfleet shirt was no longer on his torso, but serving as a sling for his left arm. Dr. Crusher must have heard the commotion, becaused immediately after Data's self assessment, she arrived at the base of the hut.

"Data? You're awake. That was quick," apparently, he had woken up quite quickly. Checking his logs, Data noted he had only be out for a half hour.

"Sorry about the shirt," Beverly continued, "While you were unconscious, you're body began heating up quite a bit. So, we went for the two-in-one approach, and removed your shirt to help you cool down, and used it as a sling for your arm. "Speaking of which," she went on, "you have a form of nerve damage in your shoulder, or in your case, wire damage. Geordie said its easily fixable, but of course, only once on board the Enterprise. For now, you'll just have to make do with a sling and a bad arm. Sorry Data."

"There is no need for apology, Doctor. Thank you for your assistance," the android replied nonchalantly. Beverly smiled sweetly, and removed herself from the hut, stating that the two of them should get some rest.

"You heard the doctor," came Will's voice from Data's right, sinking into a lying position, "Let's get some sleep. I don't know how much good sleep does for androids, but it puts my mind at ease."

"Aye, sir."

Truthfully, Data didn't believe sleep would help his condition, but it would certainly keep him from performing activities that could worsen it. And to add, if it kept his friend's worries at bay for a while, then he would do anything to help them.

The two friends drifted off into the early hours of mid-day. Riker thought to himself that with all this sleep, he wouldn't get any that night. But, he would cross that bridge when he got to it. For now, he was crossing the bridge to dreamland.

 **Aaaand, that's it for chapter 6! My updates from here on out will most likely be at a snail's pace. I'll be ahead on schedule if I get this done by Christmas of 2050.**


	7. Chapter 7

**So this is about 2, 000 years late. But anywho, here it is at last. Enjoy!**

Both Riker and Data slept peacefully throughout the day, and remarkably, the night also. It was evident from this alone that both of them had really needed some rest. Data, who had decided to activate his dream programme before going to sleep, was just now waking from a dream- in it, he was back on board the enterprise, attempting to teach Spot how to come when called. He had to admit, as an android, he sometimes had very normalised dreams, the odd weird one making its way into his head from time to time.

As he opened his eyes, he looked to his right to see that Commander Riker was already awake, lying on his back and holding out a rock in one hand and a short branch in the other. He appeared to be attempting to carve a small dagger or knife from the wood. Data's sudden movements caught Will's attention, and he turned to greet the sick- and now injured- android with a smile.

"Data." He greeted cooly, "You're finally awake. You know, for an android, you're quite a heavy sleeper."

Data began to sit up, and went to reply, but the sudden move to reposition himself caused a feeling of nausea to form. Forgetting the commander for that moment, Data plunged himself out of the tent, and went to land on hands and knees. But, surprisingly, he forgot that his left arm was injured and in a sling at that moment. The android, having no support on his upper left side, fell akwardly on his side. This only caused more nausea as Data began heaving.

Riker was met with immediate concern, and followed the android's previous actions- he plunged out of the tent. Will, however, was successful in performing this feat, seeing as both his shoulders were uninjured. He landed on the android's right, but moved around to his left in order to lend support by replacing Data's injured limb with his own. He held up the android's left side as best he could, but he had to admit- androids were not easy to lift, even partially, and especially when they were in the middle of throwing up. Fortunately for Will, it didn't last long. Black liquid ejected itself from the android's throat, and Data sank back to the ground, trying to recover from the- quite frankly- horrible feeling he had just experienced. It didn't cause him any pain of course, but it was an experience he shouldn't have ever experienced.

Will sat back as the attack subsided. But he couldn't help but feel a growing sensation of concern build up. Data's condition only seemed to be getting worse. The android had forgotten about his injured shoulder, and Data never forgot anything. Not to mention, the nausea and throwing up seemed to be stronger than what it was the first time it had happened. Riker now noticed that perspiration was once again forming on the android's face, heavier than the last time.

The rest of the crew must have heard the commotion, because they all popped their heads out of their own sleeping areas to see what was going on. Realising that it was Data, they all went to lend some aid. However, Doctor Crusher told them all to stay, and that she would go. They all agreed, bar Captain Picard, who insisted with a look that he needed to make sure Data was alright. He was, he felt, responsible in some ways for his crew, but if he was being really honest with himself, he was also very worried about his friend.

"Data?" Began Doctor Crusher, "Are you alright?" Beverly settled herself down beside the android, while Picard preffered to stand. Riker stood and moved beside his captain, making room for the doctor.

Data, before responding, looked to her, but appeared to be regaining control of his "breathing". This was beginning to make less and less sense as time went on. But that didn't matter at the moment. All Beverly knew was that Data was sick, and he was suffering, and he needed her help.

"I am alright, Doctor." Data sounded weak. Too weak for Beverly's liking. But, what really scared her was that she honestly didn't know how to handle or treat Data's condition. He was an android; androids weren't supposed to be _able_ to get sick. She pulled herself together, and decided the only thing she could.

"Alright Data. Lets just get you somewhere to rest." Even as an android, Data felt he was resting too much these days. If he were human, he'd almost say he were getting restless. Did that count as a paradox? Data shook the thought from his head, and went to stand up.

Picard and Riker, noticing the android making to get up, went and gave him some support. Data placed his arm around Riker's shoulder and Picard guided them to the firepit, also known as Data's second bed. Though truthfully, it should be known as his first, seeing as he spent more time there than the tent. That was mainly because the tent was too small and akward to really help Data in. Worf came over and started work on a fire. He knew the android wouldn't need the heat from it, but they would need to cook breakfast anyways, and it was an excuse for him to show concern for his friend without really showing it.

Data let out a few reluctant coughs as he sat down, but they subsided, and no black liquid made itself known. Geordie made his way over once he saw that the fuss had subsided. He sat down next to Data.

"Hey, Data. How ya' holding up?"

"Hello Geordie. I believe I am alright for the time being."

Geordie smiled outwardly, signifying he was happy to hear the news. However, inwardly, the engineer was almost terrified. Being just that- an engineer- Geordie knew the most about Data's inner workings- Data being the obvious exception. It also meant that Geordie knew exceptionally well just how impossible this whole situation was. Which was why he was convinced that Q was behind it.

And speak of the devil, of course. A flash of white light caught everyone's attention. Standing before them once more was the omnipotent being known as Q.

"Ah, Jean-Luc, nice to see you again. How are you enjoying your little family get-away?" Q never could resist a sarcastic undertone. At least, not around the Enterprise crew anyway. Picard could barely hold back his temper.

"Q. We have proved ourselves, and humanity, to you time and time again. This will be no different. You should give up while you're ahead."

"But Jean-Luc," Q cut in, "I'm not here to make you _prove_ yourself. I'm here for a different matter this time."

As this conversation was going on, Data began to feel that dreaded sensation behind his nose once again. Even as an android, he knew that this was the worst possible time for that to happen- right in front of Q. But unfortunately, luck once again pitted itself against him.

"Hu-cheuh!"

Q grinned to himself, and turned on his heel to face the android, and pointed.

"That, Jean-Luc, is why I'm here." Picard gave a skeptical look, which urged Q to continue.

"Well, I _do_ want to see how you all would survive without any of your precious technology," he continued, "but I decided that while I was at it, I'd have some extra fun. Even _I_ get bored sometimes, Jean-Luc. Anyways, I've always been curious about you, Data. An android- a being of perfect health, never getting sick. Heck, even _I_ get sick from time to time-"

"Really?" Riker cut in, quite skeptical about that last supposed fact. Q continued.

"No. Of course, I could if I _wanted_ to. I tried it once, not very fun. Anyways, I'm sure you've figured out by now that it was me who caused all of this."

Worf couldn't contain his anger any longer.

"Release us, Q. Now! Or I'll-"

"You'll what, Worf? Fight me? That would be like starting a pillow fight with a Klingon. But I'm sure you know all about that. Shall we?" Worf made to attack, but Picard held out a hand to stop him.

"Q, that's enough. If you will not let us leave, then leave us be. But help Data before you go." The Captain regained his composure, and tugged his shirt down to straighten it.

"Alright, _alright._ I was only being a friendly neighbour and checking in to see how you were all settling in. But, I'm only leaving, Jean-Luc. This," he said, pointing towards Data, "is hilarious! But, I suppose I _have_ overstayed my welcome. After all, I'd hate to be responsible for spreading the common cold. Ta ta!" His voice trailed off as he disappeared into the white light. Once again, the crew were alone.

"Well," Beverly started, "as much as I hate Q, at least now we know that it _is_ just a cold, with a few extra symptoms, courtesy of Q."

"Mm," Picard murmured in agreeance, before continuing,"unless he was lying."

The crew all shared a look of concern between one another, before relief flooded in at the fact that at least Q was gone- for the time being, of course. Riker interjected the solemn atmosphere.

"So, anybody up for a hunt." Picard gave a wry smile, before agreeing. They needed something to take their minds off of recent events. Though they all knew that likely wouldn't be easy.

"Captain," Data caught Picard's attention as the group was parting ways to gather their hunting supplies. Picard turned to face the android.

"Ah, Mr. Data. What can I do for you?"

"Captain, I would like permission to join the hunting party, sir. I feel I have been neglecting my duties towards the crew. Perhaps Dr. Crusher could accompany me, to be safe, sir." Picard allowed a soft smile to form at hearing this. Why did Data always have to put the crew's needs before his own? Though he couldn't judge him on that. Picard had a habit of doing it himself. Like now, for instance. The worry and concern for Data's health overided the fact that Data's help could benefit the others.

"Data, I understand where you're coming from. But perhaps it would be best if you stayed here and rested." Picard felt his heartstings tug. He could swear he saw a glimmer of disappointment appear on the android's face.

Data decided against arguing his captain when he so clearly wanted him to stay behind. He knew the captain was probably right. But it felt... wrong to him, for not being able to help his crew.

"Aye, sir." The android trudged his way past his captain, and Picard let his smile drop. Never before had he felt so much rage against Q than in this moment. Truthfully, he probably told himself that every time Q appeared. But this- this was something Picard thought Data would never experience.

Picard plucked himself out of those thoughts, and went to gather supplies. He met up with the rest of the crew, bar Data of course. But just before they embarked on their journey, Picard turned to face Data.

"Mr. Data, look after the camp while we're gone." He could at least give Data some sort of job. Of course, nothing posed a major threat to their camp so far bar the bear encounter. But he doubted that bear would be coming back any time soon.

Data, having a job to do, put on a serious face, and replied.

"Aye, sir."

 **Well, whaddya know? I actually finished it. I honestly feel like this is one of my worst chapters, but I'm starting to struggle a little with where this is going.**


End file.
